Ziggurat Encampment

The ziggurat beneath us was once the Temple of the Sun God, one of the oldest built in the city of Utzaal’s religious district. It was in active use for at least a thousand years, but when the Vaal Cataclysm struck, the city flooded, presumably killing everyone inside. Good thing for us, because this lake is the only reason it hasn’t been ransacked by other treasure hunters already. One man’s mass death is… another man’s treasure, I suppose.

Introduction

What kind of stunt was that, traversing the Marsh? Have to be smarter if you’re to survive. As Quartermaster, I’ll do my best to keep you alive. I can buy what equipment you find, or sell you what others have unearthed before we ship it back to Kingsmarch. If you disappear in the jungle, I’ll also be the one to note your death in our logs. You’re welcome.

The Azakh-Kul

I’d stay well away from them, if I were you. The Azakh-Kul use a variety of poisons to disable unwary adventurers. You might speak to our guide, Servi, who has been working on some antidotes.

Queen of Filth

She sounded… well, filthy. I don’t know how those Treasure Hunters made it in there, but I sure feel for them. We all know risk is part of the job but… what a way to go. Boggles the mind really.

The Drowned City

You drained the entire lake? I was going to ship in some Kalguuran explosives, but that’s one way to get into these temples, I suppose. Oh. Alva’s found something. She’s waiting for you at the base of these stairs. I’d join you, but I’m not sure how much I trust two-thousand-year-old waterways to keep the city dry. You enjoy yourself.

Treasure Hunters

I log everything here, so I can catalogue the thousands of ways to die the jungle offers. If you can, be sure to write some sort of final entry detailing how you die. A death log won’t benefit you, of course, but it will certainly benefit me. I don’t mean to be overly fatalistic, but the amateurs coming from Kingsmarch are accomplishing nothing but feeding the Chimerals. The most I can do, as Quartermaster, is ensure they’re equipped for exploration. That’s where the real profit in treasure hunting is, you see. I don’t go out there if I can help it. I’m the unluckiest man alive. Yet, I’m the wealthiest in this camp. You have to be good when you’re trading with the Kalguurans, or they’ll fleece you.

Kingsmarch

Ah, Kingsmarch, so called by the Kalguurans. They’re newcomers to Wraeclast, about twenty years now. They’re traders by nature. In fact, they’ve partially funded this very expedition. For some reason, they’re very interested in Vaal artefacts. We ship most of what we find back to Kingsmarch, and they pay handsomely for it.

Treasures of Utzaal

So, the city of Utzaal has been laid bare to the world after all these centuries. I know you’re after some particular device, but I can’t help but remind you that we are here for a purpose of our own. Treasure hunters hunt treasure, yeah? I’ll not be the first to set foot in those deadly sunken ruins, but if you’re braving them, you might as well keep an eye out for anything that looks… valuable. In particular, look for buildings with Monkey statues on ‘em. If you spy something like that, give me a shout. I’ll be waiting with… great anticipation.

The Molten Vault

I’m no storyteller, but I know what’s what. The monkey represented Kamasa, the Vaal god of Wealth. If you see a statue of a monkey, it means treasure. It may be a vault. May be a temple. Could be a vast forge. Any of the above would mean fabulous riches.

Forgemaster

Came back alive, did you? I’ll organise the men. We’ll start carting the gold out of there. No sign of ol’ Kamasa, eh? Then he won’t miss it. Keep anything you were able to lift out of there yourself. Let’s call it a finder’s fee. I’m feeling generous today, considering we actually found treasure, and all came out alive.

Oswald_G3_TreasureVaultSeen_Out_Loud_Quest_Picked_Up

Have you found it?

Oswald_G3_TreasureVaultSeen_Out_Loud_Quest_Not_Picked_Up

What’s all this then?

The Monkey God

That’s it! Kamasa! The Monkey God! Even {I’m} tempted to… no, no, I’ll just die horribly. It’s you that’s got to go in there. Give a look around. If you find what I {think} you’ll find, and if you clear out any dangers, we’re all going to leave this place rich.

The Monkey God_2

Now you’ve done it. Why are you making me risk my hide by coming out here? Wait look! You lucky madman! The Monkey God! The monkey represented Kamasa, the Vaal god of Wealth. Even {I’m} tempted to… no, no, I’ll just die horribly. It’s {you} that’s got to go in there. Give a look around. If you find what I {think} you’ll find, and if you clear out any dangers, we’re all going to leave this place rich.

The Monkey God_3

Now you’ve done it. Why are you making me risk my hide by coming out here? Wait look! You lucky madwoman! The Monkey God! The monkey represented Kamasa, the Vaal god of Wealth. Even {I’m} tempted to… no, no, I’ll just die horribly. It’s {you} that’s got to go in there. Give a look around. If you find what I {think} you’ll find, and if you clear out any dangers, we’re all going to leave this place rich.

Kamasa

I’ve never been quite sure if Kamasa was {actually} a monkey, or if he was just god {of} monkeys. In either case, he held their love for shiny things. The wealth wasn’t the point, but his cult still slowly grew to become the richest in the Vaal empire. Eventually, they became the very guardians of the treasury itself. The famed Perandus family would have been paupers in comparison. I can almost feel my greed overcoming my caution… almost.

Kamasa’s Greed

Little is known about the Monkey God. He was initially portrayed as curious, wise, and prone to mischief. In the earliest tales, if he appeared, it was to do one of two things: impart mysterious wisdom, or steal something shiny from a wealthy noble. Unfortunately, his greed apparently grew as the Vaal expanded. Later tales portrayed him extorting peasants and blackmailing nobles for increasingly large tithes. His cult’s core values became exploitation and ambition. His high priests eventually ran everything remotely financial in the Empire. I can only imagine what treasures are hidden in their ancient coffers…

Oswald_G3_On_Alva

Everything always goes right for Alva, whereas every single trap in an ancient ruin salivates at the prospect of my approach. I’ve literally stepped exactly in her footprints in the dust, yet still triggered a near miss with death. How is that fair? I say it’s not. So, you’ll never catch me entering temples and ruins now. I’ll direct the hunt for relics from safety, thank you. Let Alva lead her little charmed life as she goes merrily on her way past deathtraps that do nothing but smile and wave.

Oswald_G3_On_Servi

Servi has been crucial to our survival here. She takes a hefty fee, but she’s worth it. Utzaal and its surrounding swamps and jungles are far more dangerous than any other excavation site we’ve visited. It’s almost as if the city itself is a locus for evil… one might say… {cursed}… if one were superstitious. I don’t believe in any of that nonsense of course, but Servi and her tribe have survived here for countless generations, so if she wants to put up charms, say ritualistic phrases, make small sacrifices at idols, or avoid certain flowers and animals, I’m all for it.

Oswald_G3_On_Carver_Tribe

The Carver Tribe is free to roam this region now that you’ve lowered the water. I’m so positively giddy. I’ll sleep very well tonight knowing they could be creeping around at any moment. At least with the Azakh-Kul, you know you’re going to get a poison dart in the neck, eaten, or both. I have no idea how the Carvers might kill me, and not knowing is far more terrifying.

Oswald_G3_On_Chaos_Trial_Quest_Item

This is a strange artefact… wait, I think I know what this is! There’s a door in the depths of the jungle that we’ve never been able to open. It’s far older than Utzaal, and was built on higher terrain. From what I gather, only highly select Vaal could enter, and they would be faced with some sort of trial within. This thing… it essentially marks you as chosen, as an aspirant. It’ll get you inside.

Oswald_G3_On_Chaos_Trial_Quest_Complete

That door in the jungle led to the Temple of Chaos? You {met} the Trialmaster? I thought he was a myth! Does this mean that Chaos is real, too? You know the Vaal thought that Chaos was aware of every possible fate. That means that somewhere, I actually {did} die all those horrible deaths I barely escaped… it’s enough to make a man pale at his own mortality… in any case, congratulations on surviving the Trials of Chaos. I never doubted you for a moment. Of course, in some other fate, you’re lying dead in that Temple, but who’s keeping track? Besides Chaos, I mean…

The Blood Crucible

Now you’ve done it. You’ve made me risk my own hide by coming out here. You’re lucky, though, because you’ve just found the temple that supposedly guards the famed Blood Crucible. I’ve been searching for this for years… damn! It looks like it’s been destroyed. The Crucible’s probably crushed to pieces in there… a shame. I’ll try to get some men here to excavate it, but there’s little hope.

The Blood Crucible_2

Now you’ve done it. You’ve made me risk my own hide by coming out here. You’re lucky, though, because you’ve just found the temple that supposedly guards the famed Blood Crucible. I’ve been searching for this for years… it looks like it’s been destroyed by time, but we don’t have to worry about that anymore, now do we? Take a little trip into the past and fetch me the bloody thing, and I’d be mighty grateful.

Oswald_G3_On_Blood_Crucible_In_Town_Previously_No_Portal_Summoned

Do you remember that destroyed temple that I said houses the artefact known as the Blood Crucible? Well, I see a rather striking opportunity with this portal through time that you and Alva have found. What do you say about visiting that old temple in its heyday and nicking that prized relic for me? I’d be mighty grateful.

Oswald_G3_On_Blood_Crucible_In_Town_No_Previous_Prompts

There’s a destroyed temple in those sunken ruins that legend says was the home of a powerful artefact called the Blood Crucible. Well, I see a rather striking opportunity with this portal through time you and Alva have found. What do you say about visiting that old temple in its heyday and nicking that prized relic for me? I’d be mighty grateful.

Oswald_G3_On_Blood_Crucible_Return

I can’t believe it! The Blood Crucible, in the flesh! So to speak. I don’t have a clue what to do with it, but I’m sure Alva will have some ideas. This is a rather famous little device. She’ll positively lose her mind! I greatly appreciate what you’ve done.

Time Travel

Ugh, time travel gives me a headache. I’m trying to understand. Vaal priests built a gateway to their future to escape a coming catastrophe. That I can see. They needed someone with Vaal blood to activate the gateway on the other end… the other end being now. Our time. Why didn’t they just activate it themselves back then, so that it would still be active now? And isn’t needing someone with Vaal blood on this end a critical flaw, given that they were trying to escape a disaster they feared might wipe out their people? Does time pass equally on both ends? Is a day here a day there? What happens when their side has been open long enough for it to be now there, but the far future here? Ugh, I’m probably overthinking this…

Doryani’s Capture

I can’t pretend to guess the consequences of what you’ve done here. I’m not one to give lectures. If you think it’s the best course of action, I can only hope that you are right. I promise you this: if I end up dead because of this Doryani fellow, I’m going to haunt you for the rest of time.

Oswald_G3_Going_To_Kingsmarch_Goodbye

Big moves. Big events. We came here to unearth history, and we ended up making it. Get on to Kingsmarch, with my good wishes. We’ll see each other again.